Cheema challenges Khali; ready to forego Rustam-e-Hind title

Patiala, May 8 (UNI) Challenging the 'Great Khali' to a wrestling bout, former junior world champion Palwinder Singh Cheema today said he will give Rs five lakhs if he lost to the WWE champion.

The current national champion said he is also ready to put his Rustam-e-Hind title on the line.

''I will give Rupees five lakh from my pocket if Dalip Singh Rana, known as the 'Great Khali' defeats me in a wrestling bout as per the FILA rules, besides surrendering the Rustam-e-Hind title,'' Cheema, told UNI in an exclusive interview here.

''Khali is merely a showman and not strictly a wrestler and that is why he is not accepting my challenge,'' he added.

Cheema's father, Sukhchain Singh Cheema, former national wrestling champion, also maintains that Khali is simply a stuntman and hardly knows the basics of wrestling, and that is why he is not coming forward to accept Cheema's challenge.

Cheema had thrown an open challenge to Khali a few days back.

However, the WWE grappler is yet to accept the challenge.

If the seven feet three inch Khali decides to accept Cheema's challenge, it may make for an exciting spectacle when the two giants confront each other in the ring.

Cheema, who is six feet five inch tall, won the bronze medal in the 120 kg category at the Doha Asian Games in 2006.